January 16, 2008

What exactly is LED?

We’ll be collecting mysterious terms just like this one in the new glossary section. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode — you’d think it was a new thing, but it’s been lighting up numbers in digital clocks for years. LEDs are basically tiny light bulbs that are extremely efficient because they do not generate heat when they generate light. That makes them ideal to be inside electronics (no added heat) and an efficient use of power, so if you have an LED screen on a battery operated device, for example, you’ll enjoy extended battery life.

Over the past few years, advances have been made to broaden the uses of LED. This holiday season you probably saw some people using LED lights for their Christmas lights — they are cooler in color (almost blue) and a bit dimmer than ordinary lights. The initial investment in LED lights is expensive, but the energy savings over time will pay you back.

You can get your fill of LED understanding here: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/led.htm